The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-22
A SENSATIONAL WITNESS
Freeman Cloe Comes Forward in the
Isaacs Trial with a Startling Story.
Conaught0n and Saw Constable Rein.
hold Fire the Fatal Shot.

OF his trial for the murder of Thomas Conaugh-
ton Merchant Policeman Alfred Isaacs might
have been supposed spectator instead of the
prisoner at the bar, so little agitation did he
show. Since the trial began he has been cool
and deliberate, and says himself that there has
never been moment when he feared that the
jury might convict him of the crime. All day
he sat between his handsome daughter and wife,
who was able to be in attendance for the first
time, and paid close attention to the testimony
that he was not the man who fred the fatal shot
Throughout it was day of much interest, and
at no time could standing room be obtained in
tho courtroom. Prosecutor Mitchell was i'll
yesterday morning, and cross-examination of
witnesses fell to Deputy Hoffman.
George Allgood, hack driver, testified that
he saw Isaacs in front of the Occidental Hotel
at $40 o'clock on the evening of the murder
Fred Keis, who keeps saloon at No 100
Virginia avenue. was put on the stand for the
purpose of proving by him that, on the night Of
the shooting stranger brought revolver into
his place and left it. His evidence. however,
was ruled out, the ground that it was imma-
teral.
The next witness was Mrs. Flora Locker,
seamstress at No. 1913 Virginia avenue. On the
evening Of the shooting she was on her way home
from work, and was on the avenue directly in
front of the house when the shooting occurred.
The first shot she heard was in the rear of the
house. Suddenly man ran ont of the gate near
her and up the avenue to the coalshed where he
turned east. AS the man appeared on the side
walk, the second shot fired from near the
southwest corner Of the house. A moment later
W shots frad on the north side of
the house, They sounded to her like they all
came from, the same revolver. and she believed
they were all fred from the yard. The wit
ness said she was acquainted with Rein
hold, and said he had come to her house last
week and asked her for a statement of what she
knew. He came after the Journal had published
in substance what she would testify to- When
Reinhold first called she said, she denied being
the person referred to in the Journal, and when
he insisted that she was the person she got mad
aud they had some words. Reinhold told her
she would find herself in trouble if she went on
the stand and tried to make her believe that
the papers had said she would. He then asked
her if she had been divorced, where her husband
was, and similar questions and finally offered to
procure divorce for her if she would give him
a statement She refused, and ne finally
offered to get her divorce for SIS, and to wait
for the money. She was very severely cross
examined, but did not change her testimony any.
At the suggestion of Reinhold, who occupies a
place behind the prosecutor during the trial. she
was asked if she didn't say in the interview that
Isaacs was intimate with certain woman with
whom Conaughton kept company. and that
Conaughton and Isaacs were at "outs" over the
matter. Tho witness slowly and emphatically
answered, ''No."
Frank D. Stackhouse aud Frank Ryan testi-
fed that they saw Isaacs ON his beat between
and o'clock.
Almon Reeves. employed at the Sarven wheel
ty-five feet from the gate of the yard in which
the shots were fired. He was ten feet from the
man who ran out through the gate, but could
not identify him.
S. H. Walker said he knew Eaton, the man
who swore out the warrant for Conaughton's ar
rest, and thought he lived in Richmond, Ind,
now. An attempt was made to prove by the
witness that Eaton left the revolver in Kleis's
saloon but the testimony ruled out.
Sarah Flesher and Ella Armstrong were in
| the house, No. 122 Virginia avenue. when the
| shots were fired. The former thought the shots
| fred on the north side Of the house were in the
| yard.
| Mary MARI the sidewalk. thirty feet
| from the coal Office, when Conaughton ran.
| She did not see Isaacs around there.
| Captain Campbell testified to having taken
| Isaacs before Conaughton at the station-house,
| when the dying man could not identify the pris-
| oner as the man who shot him.
The revolver of isaacs was next introduced as
| evidence, against the objection of the prose
| cutor, who made the statement that it was in
! troduced simply to manufacture evidence. The
| remark called out a bitter speech from Mr..
| Harding. The attention of the jury called
| to the fact that the revolver was 44callber
81 h. ,,f1a$ oir4
was 41-cajiber.
| For the purpose of impeaching the testimony
| of Elmer Mcclure several witnesses were called.
| Tim Clark, the county jailer, said he heard Nc
CURE say in abiding to some difficulty between
Isaacs and himself, that if lsaacs had not done
| so and SO he would not have been in jail.
William Schoppenhoist, tailor testified that
Mcclure had discussed IN his presence the mat
ter of a reward for the work he was doing on
the case.
/ Thomas Huff an expert gunsmith. the
| first witness examined after dinner. He exam
| ined the revolver belonging to Isaacs. and pro-
nounced it a forty -four-caliber weapon The
bullet taken from Conaughton. he said. was a
forty -one caliber, and could not have been shot
! from the revolver of 1saacs.
Patrolmen Conklin and Slate identified the re-
volver examined as the one belonging to lsaacs
which they secured at Lewarks livery-stable or
the night of the murder.
Mrs. Isaacs and the daughter, Miss Gertrude
also identified the weapon as the property OF the
| accused.
There was brief rest in the proceedings, and
the attorneys for the defense went out for con
sultation. whisper went around that sensa
| tional witness 70 be brought forward next
and the expectalx crowd pressed around the bar
Ex-constable Heinhold leaned carelessly against
the wall in Me reporters box, but his face gave
evidence of feeling of uneasiness. The witness
was called. He was Freeman Cloe, employed
with the Manufacturers and Carpenters Union,
No. AZ South New Jersey street. He began by
saying that he was an eyewitness to the shoot
ing On the evening it occurred he was comins
up Virginia avenue, and was near the corner o
the c., H. & |. freghr-house when the first shot
was fired lie stopped and looked toward Mr.
Stiles who was standing near one of the car
| bumpers, just south of the railroad Office. Whel
the secord shot was fired he turned around, ant
HAD walked back thirty feet in the direction o
the coal shed when the third shot fired
Il placed myself" he said ION q foot bridge
and kept my eye upon the scales, thinking nigh
see who doing the shooting. At that time
did not know man was being shot at. for hat
not seen Conaughton. didn't see anyone, ant
after stopping a few seconds then started close
to the scales, keeping a close watch. When
was near the southeast corner of the scales
man stepped out from the south side OF the Goa
Office and fired the fourth shot A moment late
a man ran up through the coal-shed and spok
to the person who had fred the shot"
'Did you have your eye on the man who fire
the fourth shot"
Il did,
"Who was it2"
~